Hydraulic pile extractor



R. F. KELLER, JR 3,020,965

HYDRAULIC PILE EXTRACTOR Feb. 13, 1962 Filed Aug. 19, 1959 INVENTQR. RICHARD F. KELLER JR.

United States Patent G 3,020,965 HYDRAULIC PELE EXTRACTOR Richard F. Keller, J12, 4448 49th St. San Diego 15, Calif. Filed Aug. 19, 1959, Ser. No. 834,901 1 Claim. (Cl. 175-422) (Granted under Title 35, US. Code (1952), see. 266) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

This invention relates to devices for removing piles and more particularly to a hydraulic device for extracting piles driven in the earth, often partially under water.

The use of wooden piles as the supporting structure for wharves, anchorages, and the like is an old established practice. For the most part such piles were constructed of specially treated wood, i.e., a trimmed tree trunk, although, recently, reinforced concrete piles have been used to a minor extent. Because of various marine insects, breakage, and other factors, replacement of piles are a periodic necessity, the frequency of replacement of wooden piles depending primarily on the particular water conditions.

Heretofore the piles were removed by a crane hauling up a chain wrapped around the piles which operation usually necessitated the services of an under water diver. This procedure was time consuming, and, frequently resulted in broken piles. If breakage occurred, in some instances the remaining stub of the piles had to be abandoned in the submerged position. Piles embedded in socalled blue clay bottom subsurface soils present a formida ble removal problem by the chain method.

The present invention utilizes a device having a plurality of fluid jets designed to wash away the compacted soil supporting, and entirely surrounding the base of the embedded pile. The device comprises a frame having at least one guide means supported by one or more vertical standards. The frame is loosely slidable over the top of the pile and is suspended by a crane or the like to control vertical movement during the lowering of the extractor.

The lowermost guide means supports a plurality of jet nozzles extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the pile, the nozzles being connected by a conduit to a source of pressurized fluid, preferably water. In the preferred embodiment, the lower guide means is a circular tube which forms a manifold for the jet nozzles. The vertical standards of the frame may be hollow and connected to the lower guide to serve as a conduit for the pressurized water. The outer periphery of the lowermost guide means encircling the jet nozzles may be provided with pointed projections to protect the nozzles and to assist by cutting away the impacted ground surrounding the piling.

A principal object of this invention is to provide a device for extracting piles which utilizes pressurized fluid uniformly distributed around the base of the embedded pile.

Another object is to provide such a device which will guide itself on the piles and be self-aligning.

Still further objects are to provide a hydraulic pile extractor that will remove piles quicker, with less personnel, and therefore more economically.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of the novel pile extractor device, partially in section, suspended over a partially ice submerged pile to be removed, showing the pressurized fluid flow cutting away the impacted soil supporting the base of the pile;

FIG. 2 is a partial side elevation of the pile extractor; and

FIG. 3 a bottom plan view of the pile extractor showing the disposition of the nozzles and projections on thelower guide means.

Referring to the drawings where like reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the figures, FIG. 1 shows a novel pile extractor l0 suspended by a pair of cables 12, forming part of a bridle, from a crane or the like (not shown). The extractor is shown positioned over a conventional pile 14 to be extracted from ground 16, which in most instances is partially submerged.

Extractor 10 comprises a frame-like structure 18 including one or more guide means, such as upper and lower rings 20, 21 respectively, fixedly spaced apart by one or more rigid vertical standards 22, which may be pipe. Where the extractor is constructed with only one ring, it of necessity must be the lower ring 21 as will be apparent in this description. Suitable plates 19 and tubes 23 may be Welded to the frame for reinforcement. The

inner diameters of rings 20, 21 are sufliciently larger than.

the diameter of the pile to permit the frame to be slidably mounted and guided over the piles, but without excessive clearance to enable the piling to be centered therein for a reason to be explained.

The upper portion of frame 18 includes a pair of additional vertical supports 24, which can be extensions of vertical standards 22, secured to upper ring 20, and at the other end hingedly connected at 26 to links 27 which are pivotally connected to clevises 28 attached to eyes on cables 12. Upper spacer ring 30 is clamped between links 27 and move therewith enabling the frame to be readily lifted to a vertical position from a horizontally stowed position.

Lower ring 21 is of a hollow tubular construction having connected thereon a plurality of downwardly depending nozzles 32, twelve such nozzles being illustrated in the drawing. The nozzles are preferably axially disposed downwardly at an angle, all inclined in the same circumferential direction, and are also canted inwardly toward the pile. The lower ring serves as a manifold to distribute the fluid flow to the nozzles. The outer periphery of the lower ring has integrally mounted a plurality of spaced downwardly and outwardly pointed projections 33 which are longer than nozzles 32 to protect the latter from damage by engagement with rocks, etc.

Lower ring 21 is supplied with pressurized water through pipes 22 and flexible hoses 34 connected thereto adjacent the upper ring 20. The other end of hoses 34 are connected to a source of pressurized water, i.e. pumps (not shown). Flexible hoses 34 are supported on the extractor frame by a pair of semi-cylindrical guides 36 welded to vertical supports 24. The hoses permit the device to oscillate during operation presently to be described.

In operation, extractor 19 is lifted by a crane through cables 12 and slid over the particular pile to be removed, being guided by lower ring 21 and upper ring 20 if two rings are used. The pressurized water passes through hoses 34 and vertical standards 22 to lower ring 21 which distributes the flow to the jet nozzles 32. The water emitted from the jets is directed downwardly and toward the pile to loosen the earth immediately surrounding the embedded end of the pile. The guide rings ensure that the extractor will travel parallel to the pile throughout any inclination of the pile, and that the nozzles will always be in close proximity thereto. The inclined disposition of the nozzles causes the jet discharge to assume a swirling flow, in the direction of arrow 38 (FIG. 3), which flow keeps the loosened soil particles in motion. The soil particles being in suspension are gradually floated upwardly with the water out the pile socket, preventing any tendency of the particles to settle back and recompact against the pile. As the extractor is lowered against the sub-surface, projections 33 on the lower ring serve as blades to cut and break away soil particles, i.e. rocks around the pile too hard or dense to be removed solely by the hydraulic flow from the nozzles. In addition, the projections, being longer, protect the nozzles from damage from rocks and the like. The projections are peripherally spaced apart to permit passage of the upward flow with the loosened soil. As the extractor is worked toward the bottom of the pile, the extractor may be slightly raised and dropped repeatedly against the bottom to assist the cutting action of projection 33. The swirling jet flow from the inclined nozzles causes the extractor to rotate, being permitted by flexible hoses 34, and the extractor assumes a new position when repeatedly dropped taking a fresh bite in the soil. The rate of descent of the extractor will depend to a large extent on the nature of the subsoil. In practice, piles have been removed within seven minutes.

As the impacted ground around the embedded piling is loosened, the high pressure water emitting from the nozles tends to exert an upward pressure, thus reducing the pull that may be required by a crane or the like to lift the pile. In most cases, the pile floats free out of its socket without the assistance of a crane.

The novel pile extractor effectively removes piles quickly without the danger of breakage or the need of divers. The extractor is installed over the upper end of the pile and is guided along the pile, regardless of any inclination, to maintain the jet nozzles in close proximity to the pile. The jet nozzles are axially inclined to cause a swirling jet flow which enables a more efiicient cutting of the soil from the base of the pile.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claim the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

I claim:

A hydraulic pile extractor comprising a frame including vertically spaced upper and lower rings capable of sliding longitudinally over an embedded pile to be extracted, means for suspending the frame around the pile, said upper ring being pivotaliy mounted on the frame about an axis transversely of the pile and capable of being pivoted by the suspending means, said lower ring supporting a plurality of downwardly-directed jet nozzles, the lower ring being hollow to form a manifold for said nozzles, a portion of said frame providing a conduit means connecting the lower ring to a source of pressurized water, all of said nozzles being axially inclined radially toward the pile and canted in the same circumferential direction, said rings centering the extractor around the pile and maintaining the nozzles in close proximity thereto, whereby the nozzles direct multiple jet fluid streams against the soil surrounding the base of the pile to create a swirling flow around the pile.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,409,760 OMarr Mar. 14, 1922 1,644,560 Bignell Oct. 4, 1927 1,853,379 Rotinoff Apr. 12, 1932 2,354,936 Bignell Aug. 1, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS 510,367 Germany Oct. 18,1930

1,174,639 France Nov. 3, 1958 

